Postoperative fertility guidance for breast cancer patients

  In recent years breast cancer has risen to the first place of malignant tumors among women in individual large and medium-sized cities in China, and the younger age of breast cancer patients in China, we also feel more and more young breast cancer patients in clinical practice, which inevitably face the problem of postoperative fertility for breast cancer patients.  Although there is no evidence that childbirth affects the prognosis of breast cancer patients, the risk of disease recurrence and the impact of treatment on offspring must be fully considered when choosing whether and when to have children, and there must be adequate communication with patients.  (1) Patients with carcinoma in situ of the breast can be considered for childbirth after they have finished surgery and radiation therapy.  (2) Patients with lymph node-negative invasive carcinoma of the breast can be considered for childbirth 2 years after surgery.  (3) Patients with lymph node-positive invasive carcinoma of the breast can consider having children 5 years after surgery.  (4) Patients requiring adjuvant endocrine therapy should discontinue endocrine therapy (e.g., norethindrone, triamcinolone or other SERMs) 3 months prior to conception until the end of breastfeeding after childbirth, and then continue endocrine therapy.  Because the development of breast cancer is more related to the hormone levels in the body and hormone levels may change during pregnancy, it is recommended that regular pregnancy checkups during pregnancy be accompanied by breast-related examinations (ultrasound or breast specialist physical examination).